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Any Chris Crafts In Africa?

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Matt Smith
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Any Chris Crafts In Africa?

Post by Matt Smith » Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:39 am

I am on a shoot here in Africa this week til the 10th, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Do we have any fellow Chris Craft lovers here? Maybe a show.. Maybe I can win the furthest traveled award? Dear God!
1948 25' Chris Craft Sportsman
1937 16' Special Racer
1968 40' Rice Trawler
1968 11' Crab Skiff
2018 Hole in my head

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drrot
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Post by drrot » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:01 am

Matt,
I'm pretty sure Africa is LOADED with old Chris-Craft boats and Harleys. Every time I list one for sale I get several responses from Africa willing to send me more than my asking price. They must love them there!!

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Chad Durren
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Post by Chad Durren » Wed Sep 02, 2009 8:13 am

Matt, I just bought this awesome boat on Craigslist in Mozambique. Could you paddle it back for me? Shouldn't leak as it's carved out of one tree.
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1952 CC 18' Sportsman
1969 CC 19' Commander Super Sport

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Al Benton
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Post by Al Benton » Wed Sep 02, 2009 9:25 am

BTW, Chad, Congratulations on sharing first place on the Jamestown Distributes Photo Contest this month with photos of your restoration. I tried to link this but couldn't get it to work.

That's a fine looking new project old woody boat you found. No keels, chines, frames, planks or anything else to worry with. Just 25 or so gallons of CPES and she's as good as new. Matt, pack her home!

Al

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Chad Durren
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Post by Chad Durren » Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:08 am

Thanks Al, my buddy talked me into entering the photo contest. All I had to do was join Facebook (arrrgh) and post a few pics. $100 credit at JD! Maybe I can use it towards that Fein Multimaster I've been watching for years.

As for my new boat, I hope to start a new class at the shows: "Post-War Dugout", using single log construction.
1952 CC 18' Sportsman
1969 CC 19' Commander Super Sport

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Matt Smith
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Post by Matt Smith » Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:22 am

It looks very close to the very rare Chris Craft Tato.. They we made in the mid 50's There are two other models.. The Tot.. a small rounded one and the thin racer version the fry...They were designed when Chip Smith a Potato farmer in Idaho, a cousin of Chris Smith found that his field could grow very large potatoes. They became very popular in Africa since they were easy to build and inexpensive.Really!
1948 25' Chris Craft Sportsman
1937 16' Special Racer
1968 40' Rice Trawler
1968 11' Crab Skiff
2018 Hole in my head

WoodyBoater.com

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maritimeclassics
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Post by maritimeclassics » Wed Sep 02, 2009 12:40 pm

Looks like a dug out cartopper.
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Restoration Projects:
1936 25' Gar Wood Custom
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1937 25' Chris Craft Custom Runabout

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Al Benton
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Post by Al Benton » Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:55 pm

Do trees grow that big in Africa? Maybe it really is an Idaho potato.

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Matt Smith
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Post by Matt Smith » Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:48 pm

I'm tell"n ya the real deal. Ask Don. There has to be something in the archives about it. And since i posted it on the forum, it must be true...Joe Martel is also about to do a story on it, claiming that Varnish is a waste of time on these boats.
1948 25' Chris Craft Sportsman
1937 16' Special Racer
1968 40' Rice Trawler
1968 11' Crab Skiff
2018 Hole in my head

WoodyBoater.com

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Don Ayers
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Post by Don Ayers » Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:37 pm

Image


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1959 Riva Ariston
www.RivaForum.org
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Matt Smith
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Post by Matt Smith » Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:06 pm

I rest my case your honor!
1948 25' Chris Craft Sportsman
1937 16' Special Racer
1968 40' Rice Trawler
1968 11' Crab Skiff
2018 Hole in my head

WoodyBoater.com

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Al Benton
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Post by Al Benton » Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:22 pm

That's a big potato.

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Reginald Down
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Post by Reginald Down » Thu Sep 03, 2009 1:18 am

If there's any truth to the story about the giant Idaho potatoe, I can check it out this weekend. I'll be in Idaho at the ACBS Priest Lake Dry Rot Poker Run. Better leave early... Idaho is a big state!
Reg Down

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Ken Miller
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Post by Ken Miller » Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:04 am

Don Ayers wrote:Image
You know, since you post that, my father has a pretty neat story to go along with that from his "wood shop" days in high school---he made a mahogany corner cabinet for his mother on Mother's Day 1955 (his senior year) which actually came out of one mahogany plank............the plank measured 22 feet long, 28 inches wide, and 2.5 inches thick! He put this information of the back of the cabinet, which now sits in my parents' breakfast room.
1951 Chris Craft U-22-1705 "Miss Cynthia"

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Matt Smith
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Post by Matt Smith » Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:21 am

One of the key advantages to the Chris Craft Tato boats is no need to varnish. You see. I have been told that hand rubbed butter or sour cream give the boats a very tasteful appearance... I am sure that Reg will look into this in Idaho.. Trust me, they love potato jokes in Idaho.. in fact you may be the first one to tell one...
1948 25' Chris Craft Sportsman
1937 16' Special Racer
1968 40' Rice Trawler
1968 11' Crab Skiff
2018 Hole in my head

WoodyBoater.com

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Al Benton
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Post by Al Benton » Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:41 am

The biggest problem that Chip Smith from Idaho had wasn't where to start on the CC Tato Boat, it was how to stop workers from eating them out too thin. He finally learned it was a simple matter of taking their butter & sour cream away.

Ken, that's an interesting story. Hopefully the cabinet will be handed down to future generations to enjoy. That single plank had 128 bd/ft of mahogany in it. It and just 3 or 4 more like it would be enough wood to build a 17' runabout.

Al

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Mahogany......

Post by James » Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:07 pm

.....by my calculation, there's are a Riva Tritone in this stack; shipped to Seasonic Boats last year for our Perlita Too restoration, with some left over.......


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Ken Miller
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Post by Ken Miller » Tue Sep 08, 2009 6:13 am

It's already got tumblehome---all it needs is power and some hardware!
1951 Chris Craft U-22-1705 "Miss Cynthia"

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